Just over a week before the end of the regular season, the Predators are happily welcoming back a number of key contributors.

The challenge now is to work those players back into the lineup as seamlessly as possible in preparation for the postseason.

Practice participants on Thursday included forward James Neal, who’s missed the past nine games with an upper-body injury; forward Matt Cullen, who’s missed the past five games with a lower-body injury; and defenseman Shea Weber, who’s missed the past three games with a lower-body injury.

Coach Peter Laviolette said he wasn’t yet certain whether the three will play Saturday against Dallas at Bridgestone Arena.

Missing was forward Paul Gaustad, who will sit out Saturday’s game and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury after taking an illegal hit from Vancouver’s Alexander Burrows on Tuesday. Forward Eric Nystrom (lower body) didn’t skate either.

But overall, there was more good injury news than bad.

“They all looked good,” Laviolette said of the returning skaters. “They made it through all of practice, and practice was physical. So there are a lot of positive signs.”

The Predators now have to make sure the returnees fit back into their slots with as little adjustment as possible, ridding themselves of rust and re-discovering chemistry with teammates quickly.

“We’re a tight group and by now I think everyone knows how other guys play and play together,” Weber said. “But still, when guys are out for an extended period of time, there’s definitely going to be a little rust and a transition period. But (Neal and Cullen) are two really skilled, capable guys, so hopefully it shouldn’t last long.”

Here’s a quick look at the status of the three players who are nearing a return and the impact they should have:

James Neal. He hasn’t played since March 12, so it’s easy to wonder whether his injury had been bothering him even before he left the lineup — he had posted just one point (a goal) in his previous 12 games.

“When I got hurt, I knew it wasn’t good, so I knew it would be a little bit to heal up and get back,” Neal said. “Especially when the playoffs are right around the corner, you don’t want to rush anything. You want to feel healthy and good.

“If it was the playoffs, I would have been back a lot sooner. But with the time frame we had and the days off, I think it was the right decision to be smart with it.”

Despite a three-week absence, Neal should give the Predators a big boost heading into the postseason. His 22 goals are third-most on the team, and he’s played in 38 career playoff contests — including 26 over the past two seasons.

“You have to get some games in before the playoffs to get back to speed,” said Neal, who skated on a line with Mike Ribeiro and Filip Forsberg on Thursday. “You never just want to jump into playoffs after being hurt. So I’ll just do my best to get back there.”

Matt Cullen. He was playing well prior to his injury, producing four assists in his previous four games and 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his last 13.

One of his greatest assets — versatility — was on display during Thursday’s practice. With Gaustad out of the lineup, Cullen, who’s played primarily wing this season, stepped back into the middle, centering a fourth line of Viktor Stalberg and Taylor Beck.

The 38-year-old Cullen also brings plenty of postseason experience — his 68 playoff games include a 2006 run to the Stanley Cup under Laviolette in Carolina.

Shea Weber. He has only missed three games, but — coincidentally or not — the Predators allowed a combined 12 regulation/overtime goals in those games. They’d only given up 11 such goals in the previous six games.

His return will reunite the dynamic duo of Weber-Roman Josi in both five-on-five and power-play situations, and it will allow the other defensive pairings to go back to normal as well.

The return of a healthy Norris Trophy-caliber blueliner and team captain should serve as another big pre-playoff boost.

“Guys like Neal and (Weber) and Cullen are all key players,” goalie Pekka Rinne said. “When they’re out, it gives other guys a chance to get their name out there and get more ice time. But for sure, we’ve missed those guys and it will be good to get them back.”